11 Killed In Mass Shooting During Religious Event In Gang-Plagued Mexican State
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the attack and said an investigation has been launched into the incident.
At least 11 people were killed and 20 others wounded in a mass shooting incident in the violence-plagued Guanajuato state of Mexico, according to local officials.
The shooting took place on Tuesday night in the city of Irapuato during festivities marking the Nativity of John the Baptist, said the officials on Wednesday, reported AFP. Witnesses narrated terrible scenes of panic and chaos as event-goers fled the gunfire.
“It was chaos. People put the wounded into their cars and rushed to hospital to try to save them,” a witness told the news agency.
Footage of the incident widely shared on social media shows attendees dancing and celebrating when suddenly gunshots ring scattering people in panic.
Sheinbaum Condemns Attack
Bloodstains and bullet holes were still visible at the scene on Wednesday morning. A 17-year-old, eight men and two women were among the deceased, as per the Guanajuato state prosecutor’s office.
Irapuato’s local government issued a statement terming the attack a "cowardly act" and said security forces are hunting those responsible. Psychological support is being offered to affected families.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the attack as "deplorable" and said a probe has begun into the attack. "It is very unfortunate what happened. An investigation is underway," Sheinbaum said.
During her daily news conference, Sheinbaum referred to the shooting as a "confrontation" without giving more details.
Violence Plagues Guanajuato
The Guanajuato state of Mexico, northwest of Mexico City, has remained one of the most violent regions in the country for many years. The criminal groups fight over routes to price drugs and commit other crimes.
In a similar incident the same day as the mass shooting, five other people were killed in other parts of the state, as per the attorney general's office.
Guanajuato recorded over 3,000 murders last year and the bloodshed continued this year as well. The state has reported 1,435 cases of homicide through the first five months of the year, more than double that of any other state, as per an AP report.
Around 4,80,000 people have been killed in Mexico since 2006 while more than 1,20,000 are missing due to criminal violence, mostly linked to drug trafficking.
Much of the violence in Guanajuato is connected to conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of the most powerful in the Latin American nation, reported CBS News.
The Jalisco cartel has been designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the Trump administration in the US.
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